Tired of writing. Too much drawing to do. Only doing surveys for a while. See you sometime!
Tired of writing. Too much drawing to do. Only doing surveys for a while. See you sometime!
Member since:19.08.2001
Reviews:47
Members who trust:24
I went to Reykjavik for 5 nights in Autumn 1998 with my boyfriend and was well impressed. We had been inspired by seeing a programme about the making of Bjork's Homogenic album, which musically seems to sum up the atmosphere of Iceland. We got a package deal with flights and hotel (with breakfast) for about £500 each, which was fairly cheap. We stayed at Hotel Reykjavik (the smaller, second branch) which was clean, friendly, comfortable, nice big continental breakfast, and had useful information about local excursions. It was also centrally located, 5 minutes from the main shopping street.
Not that we did much shopping. The fashion and music was all
super-stylish and contemporary, but incredibly expensive - apparently the locals have at least 2 jobs to keep up with the cost! We only went out to the pub one of the nights(Damon Albarn from Blur owns one so we tried that out) because beer was £5 a pint!! Yikes!! But it was friendly and kind of intellectual seeming - everyone in the bar was having intense discussions about God knows what - I can't say I picked up much Icelandic.
Not speaking the lingo was not a problem. I made a few clumsy attempts and amused the locals who would laugh, and say "Don't worry, we speak perfect English". Which they did. Once you get talking to the Icelanders, they are really friendly and expressive - which is almost a surprise, because just walking down the street most of them looked quite grumpy! Smiling doesn't seem to be habitual there, but nor is it unheard of - it's an expression saved for when it is really meant!
I wouldn't recommend the horses though. They are a viking breed, and we went for a half-day round the lava fields. The most uncomfortable experience I've ever had I think. My horse was particularly stubborn, kept refusing to walk, and was too fat, so my thighs were splitting!
My favourite excursion was the trip round the 'Golden Circle', where we saw Gullfoss, the big waterfall, and their big Geyser (way more impressive than I'd expected) and the tectonic plates, where the European and American continents meet with a shifting crevice in the earth. The surrounding countryside is absolutely awe-inspiring. It's a little similar to Scotland in some ways, with undulating rugged landscapes and huge lakes.
Having travelled in the Autumn I was disappointed we wouldn't be getting the Northern Lights of winter, nor the 24-hour sunlight of summer. However, Autumn provided beautiful reds and greens in the foliage (more trees than you'd expect in Reykjavik) and reasonable-length days. Also temperate weather. It was a little bit overcast, like Britain's cloudy days - you sense a threat of rain, but it was quite warm enough.
Words can't express how beautiful the countryside is - it made me want to return and spend some time in the virtually uninhabited interior. Reykjavik on the other hand can actually become a little bit dull. I think a long weekend would have covered it. We really enjoyed walking around, taking in the culture, but without a lot of money to spend we didn't get any idea of the club or pub scene.
The architecture is fascinating with their brightly coloured roofs and corrugated-iron frontages - Most Icelanders build their own houses and if you peer inside the windows (I am ever so nosey) you see really well kept rooms with loads of books and paintings and extremely tasteful furniture!
As vegetarians, we were wondering if we'd have to resort to eating fish, but provisions were good. There were two vegetarian restaurants and a good Italian restaurant. Actually, there's a funny story in that. We ate more than humanly possible (almost), got given a doggie bag even, and then waited for the bill. We waited 20 minutes, and asked again. They were very busy so we didn't like to make a fuss - another 20 minutes passed and we were keen to leave by then. We asked again for the bill and they told us "in a moment". It was getting really busy, and people were waiting to be seated and we just couldn't catch any waiters' eye any more! So we just picked up our doggie bags and left! On reflection, I really think we should have left some money on the table - the crime rate is so low in Iceland, I don't think anyone would have walked with it - but hey, we were sozzled from the house red (booze being the cause of the majority of crime in Iceland). That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! We probably made the papers with our shameless thieving.
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Reyajvik! Home of Gus Gus....anyone heard of Gus Gus? Well they are an icelandic alternative house band....absolutely fantastic!! Ever since I've been obsessed with icelandic culture, reyjavik sounds really cool, would love to go.
Excellent review
From_The_Continent 21.08.2001 17:59
A very informative and well written op. I have considered a stopover in Iceland on one of my next flights to the states, and this excellent op makes it sound a very promising option. Regards, Hans
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![Iceland's Favourite Places Reykjavik&The Golden Circle [DVD]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/101841802.jpg "Iceland's Favourite Places Reykjavik&The Golden Circle [DVD]")
![Iceland's Favourite Places Reykjavik&The Golden Circle [DVD] [NTSC]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/127520558.jpg "Iceland's Favourite Places Reykjavik&The Golden Circle [DVD] [NTSC]")
Aug 21st, 2001
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